Ear clips normally take the form of separate pivotally attached members which are movable relative to each other between open and closed positions such that the members serve to clamp outer surface areas of a wearer's earlobe disposed therebetween and accordingly enable the ear clip to be mounted thereon. Normally, the ear clip includes ornamentation and thus forms an earring. Generally, such constructions include a stationary jaw or body portion to which a separate leaf spring is attached by means of upwardly bent tabs and the like and which serves to engage terminal portions of the movable jaw or clip arm near its attachment to the body so as to resiliently urge the clip arm to a fully opened and/or a fully closed position. As an example of such an ear clip construction, note U.S. Pat. No. 3,176,475 issued Apr. 6, 1965.
As the incorporation of a separate spring necessitates an additional and accordingly generally costly added assembly operation, it has been found desirable in some cases to eliminate the separate spring member by integrally incorporating such into the structure of one of the pivotally connected members (generally that designated the stationary jaw or body portion). An example of such an earring construction is shown in applicant's previous U.S. Pat. No. 3,990,226 issued Nov. 9, 1976. It has now been found desirable in earring constructions of this type to incorporate means by which a significant or pronounced frictional drag may be imparted to the members as they are pivotally moved relative to one another such that they may be maintained in any number of partially opened positions relative to each other rather than be resiliently urged to fully open or fully closed positions.
It is accordingly a primary object of the present invention to provide an ear clip of the type under consideration in which the pivotally movable members thereof undergo a pronounced frictional drag as they move relative to each other such that they may be positioned in a variety of attitudes with respect to each other whereby the degree of clamping force may be readily adjusted to achieve both a secure grip and maximum comfort to the wearer.
A still further object of the present invention is the provision of a clip structure of the above-indicated type in which the frictional drag above-referred to is imparted by a spring member integrally formed from one of the pivotally movable members.
A still further object of the present invention is the provision of a clip structure as set forth in the immediately aforementioned object in which the tension of the spring member may be varied so as to impart a greater or lesser degree of frictional drag between the members as they are pivotally moved with respect to each other.
These and other objects of the present invention are accomplished by the provision of a pair of pivotally connected members wherein one of the members is a reversely bent leaf spring having opposed arms each terminating in free ends. The arms include openings passing therethrough such that a loop portion disposed at one end of the other member may pass through such openings and encircle the free ends of the spring member so that they are under tension and accordingly impart a frictional drag on the members as they move relative to each other. Additionally, means are provided to adjust the tension of the free ends both in situ by various means for spreading apart the opposed spring arms and upon relative rotation of the loop portion by the provision of one or more interior lobes thereon.
Reference is also made to the following previous patents of the present applicant, U.S. Pat. No. 3,462,808 issued Aug. 26, 1969 and 3,568,271 issued Mar. 9, 1971. Such patents although not pertinent in regard to the major objects of the present invention do show lobed loop configurations. The above prior art citations and their discussion constitutes applicant's Prior Art Disclosure and in such regard, a copy of each such patent referred to above is enclosed with this application.
Other objects, features and advantages of the invention shall become apparent as the description thereof proceeds when considered in connection with the accompanying illustrative drawing.